Saturday, September 8, 2012

"A Modern Monk's Tale"

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Words stick in my throat when I try to describe the power I found in "A Modern Monk's Tale" by John Cavanagh (August 12, 1939 - September 9, 2012
), a former Trappist monk who tried, like so many before and after him, to bring clerical misdeeds to his superiors' attention ... and, like so many before and after him, was told to keep his mouth shut.

Cavanagh 1964

First of all, it's well written. Second it tells the tale of a person who arose from the well-heeled realms of Roman Catholicism. Rich was holy. Holy was rich. Third, there is little or no soap box in it -- no wails or whines of despair ... just the story. It's about 20 pages long.

It twinkles in my mind like a diamond, facet after facet catching the light of what it is to exist in a realm of power run amok. "A Modern Monk's Tale" happens to be about Roman Catholicism.

It might as easily be about why Occupy Wall Street brought so many to their feet.
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My name is Adam Fisher. I live in Northampton, Mass., U.S.A. I have a wife and three children. This is my blog and consists of almost-daily postings -- sometimes (older) about the Zen Buddhism I have admired and practiced for something short of 50 years; sometimes about other 'spiritual' matters; and (more recently) about whatever strikes my fancy. Except to the extent that it might help others to consider what sort of fool they might prefer not to be, this blog does not aim to help anyone. Writing is an old and diminishing habit. It's what I do. Once upon a time, I built a zendo/meditation hall in the backyard here and invited people to come. The zendo is still there and my Dharma name is still "Genkaku" ("original realization" or "original understanding") but these days the formality of meditation has drained. Black Moon Zendo is still a good zendo, but I am 77 in 2017 ... creaky and disinclined. I honor those who make courageous journeys, but am hoist by my own observation that "Just because you are indispensable to the universe does not mean the universe needs your help." Best wishes to all. I can be contacted at genkakukigen@aol.com